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    San Francisco, CA
    317.371.1848

We craft software for venture-backed startups

4.7
12 reviews

Espeo is a software house dedicated to high-quality product development, design and testing.

For the past 8 years, we’ve been successfully crafting market-leading web and mobile products designed to accelerate the growth of our customers. 

Based in Poznań (Poland), Helsinki (Finland), and San Francisco, we excel in providing right-sized agile teams that meet the business and technical needs of our clients. We understand time is everything, especially if you’re running a startup: our process is optimized to deliver tangible results quickly, and we make the path from our first conversation to development as short as possible.

We use only proven technologies that allow building reliable, high-traffic solutions. Our strengths include JavaScript, Java, PHP and blockchain development.

READ MORE...
 
$10,000+
 
$50 - $99 / hr
 
50 - 249
 Founded
2008
Show all +
San Francisco, CA
headquarters
  • Espeo Software
    180 Sansome Street
    San Francisco, CA 94104
    United States
    317.371.1848
other locations
  • Espeo Software
    ul. Wroniecka 18/5
    Poznań 61-763
    Poland
    +48 61 848 0065

Portfolio

Key clients: 

We’re especially proud of our track record with US, British and Nordic companies. Tell us about your needs - we’ll advise you for free.

Our clients include: Solita, Sanoma, Ottoboni, MeBeGood, the Polish Police, University of Jyvaskyla, Eximap, Suomen Suoramainonta Oy, Zipbot.ai, Job Impulse, Dreams.Build, DHAP, City of Koszalin, Soma, Daybreak (Chita).

Initial Coin Offering for Soma

Espeo's blockchain team helped to build the Initial Coin Offering for Soma. Soma is a decentralized, blockchain-based social marketplace wherein users can securely and reliably trade with one another and are rewarded for interactions and engagement using Soma Community Tokens (SCT).

Soma has a patent-pending blockchain-based innovation, the Interactive Item Card (IIC). This digital representation of the physical item allows the quality, price and the ownership history of individual products to be maintained reliably.

Building an ICO with Espeo

We're a team of experienced blockchain experts ready to build your ICO. We've already created them for others! Safe, profitable and professional: http://try.espeo.eu/ico/

Web application for Dreams.Build

Espeo developed a rock-solid crowdfunding platform for an American startup, handling the building of the platform, the two-stage funding process, currency conversion - plus suggesting new features.

The platform services entrepreneurs in 23 different countries in over 130+ currencies. Dreams.Build can accomplish this by having the system
handle currency and language conversions for our users in real-time.

Recruitment system - Taito (Sanoma)

Espeo created a web-based recruitment management system for a leading media group in the Nordic countries.

This HR web application allows the end clients to create ads, manage the authority level of the employees responsible for recruiting, and create templates. The end clients can publish ads with just one click.

For the project, Espeo used advanced search and data matching technology, including Elasticsearch.

Wellness app for MeBeGood

Espeo’s key solution was the creation of an API for frontend applications and the development of two native apps (iOS and Android). The team knew that the UI was especially important: the app was made to look good and be easy to use.

The app combines activity tracking and charity: attracting users wanting to get involved in a good cause. Further engagement was possible through events that triggered push notifications. Conversion was a major end benefit, and the possibility to analyze those conversions drew more sponsors to the application.

Reviews

4.7
12 reviews
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Web Dev for Digital Education Company

“The service has been flexible, trouble-free, and efficient.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Apr. 2017 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Espeo created a sophisticated tool used to evaluate and certify digital and analog educational resources. The team continues to improve the tool’s functionality. They are also building a related catalog site.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Finland
Toni Mustonen
Head of Operations, Kokoa
 
Not verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Espeo exceeds expectations in terms of quality. The team delivered a sophisticated, bug-free product that has received positive feedback from internal users. They are highly flexible and responsive, which allows them to meet most deadlines despite sudden change requests.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a digital education company that was founded in 2015. The founders were EdTech [educational technology] professionals with years of experience in developing digital products, games, and services for learning. Our mission is to help companies create products with the highest educational quality and the best pedagogical design.

We use a method based on Finnish pedagogical knowledge and research. Our evaluation method measures a solution’s educational quality and finds out how effectively it supports learning.

Kokoa Standard is a service for evaluating the educational quality of a product. All reviewed products have a chance to get awarded with the Kokoa Standard certificate, which helps them stand out in the EdTech market as a pedagogically validated professional solution. All certified products are displayed on Kokoa's website for great industry visibility.

As the head of operations, I am responsible for leading the internal and external projects for R&D [research and development].

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

The market for digital and non-digital educational solutions is growing rapidly and overflowing with products of varying educational quality. We realized through research and firsthand observation that independent quality verifications are essential. We want EdTech industry stakeholders around the world to trust Kokoa to ensure solutions are independently certified and meet high quality standards.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Espeo is helping us develop a complex web-based evaluation tool that follows a scientifically proven method in every aspect of the reviewing process. We provided 95% of the design for this project.

Our tool evaluates the learning aspects of digital or analog products, including applications. We have a set of 50–60 questions made in cooperation with university researchers, who evaluated these questions based on their expertise in the field. Aside from answering these questions, researchers also input all the curricula and basic information that we display on our website. The tool also exports each evaluation to a Google slide presentation that we can provide to our customers.

Espeo is also developing the main Kokoa website, which includes a catalog for displaying certified products.

What is the team dynamic?

Espeo provides us with frontend and backend development resources. We requested developers who are proactive. We wanted to work with people who would highlight concerns or additional development ideas.

I’m working as Kokoa's project manager in cooperation with Espeo's project lead. We have 2 developers for the evaluation tool project, 1 frontend and 1 backend, as well as a project manager. For the Drupal website project, we have just 1 developer.

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

My colleagues met them at an event where Espeo was showcasing their services. They made a positive impact, so my colleagues remembered them when we were looking for someone to develop our product. We looked at a couple companies, but Espeo seemed to be better in terms of quality and price.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent $75,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in April 2017, and the projects are ongoing. The website project will be ongoing for some time. The evaluation tool is finished, but we are building additional features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The evaluation tool is being used internally, and users have been excited about the outcomes. It has made our work efficient, reducing the time needed to do the evaluations. The tool has also improved the quality of the evaluations.

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve experienced few issues in the past 4 months that we’ve worked with Espeo. Schedules have been met 90% of the time. Any delays were mostly because of urgent mid-sprint change requests or other unknowns that could not be planned against.

Project communication is handled professionally, from planning and follow-ups to demos. We currently have 2-week sprints, but we also communicate as needed. We have a Slack channel to discuss things. When we have something urgent to discuss, we can do that right away by appear.in, phone, or Slack. Aside from team meetings based on the Scrum schedule, we also have planning meetings and a demo meeting bi-weekly about the work that’s being done.

Based on our experience with various game and software projects, we were expecting to have more issues and problems. That’s why we decided to have a kick-off meeting face-to-face with the development team in Poznan, Poland. It was a great opportunity to build a long-lasting relationship with the team members. We met again 2 months later, when we started another project with a second team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Espeo delivered as expected, and in some cases, beyond our expectations. They work in an effective manner and follow industry standards.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I only have positive things to say about them. They speak good English, but sometimes the communication breaks down because of Internet issues. That isn’t their fault; it’s just what happens when working with a remote team.

5.0
Overall Score It has truly been a pleasure to work with such professionals. Espeo’s flexible and high-quality service has made it difficult to look elsewhere when selecting a development partner.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They have mostly been accurate in estimating workloads and schedules. There were only a few instances where a minor part of a sprint has not been completed in time. The team is always on time for project meetings.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    No complaints here. It has been easy to budget and follow the reports provided by Espeo. They provide custom reporting when asked.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    The service has been flexible, trouble-free, and efficient. Bugs have been rare.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    Based on our experiences with Espeo, we can highly recommend working with them on a project of any scale.

Development for Finnish Media Company

“They have educated us in Scrum, and I’ve been happy with their approach.”

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4.5

Quality: 
4.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
Aug. 2016 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Initially, assigned developers helped with a translation project. Espeo is now collaborating with an internal team to revamp an order distribution software. They will also develop a mobile app in the future.

The Reviewer
 
201-500 Employees
 
Finland
Director of Development, Finnish Media Company
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Espeo’s approach to project management stands out — particularly their use of Scrum. The team encourages frequent video conferencing as a way to foster teamwork and bridge cultural gaps. Espeo’s ability to tap technical experts in their area for various tasks is also valuable.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of development for a distribution company in Finland. We distribute city papers and advertisements. I’m responsible for the IT and development in the organization. My team includes a lead developer, a software architect, and system specialists who do maintenance as well. We employ 5,000 part-time workers, 100 van drivers, and 50–60 office workers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo?

We are redoing our core distribution software since the system is quite old. We use it to manage our work orders, which go from the area managers to the end runners and the van drivers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did a small project with Espeo before, and it gave us a really good first impression of their services. Initially, we created some specifications in Finnish. While we were reluctant to change the language in the design process, we ended up doing that because the project started to go really well. The language translation wasn’t as big as we first thought.

Since this first project went smoothly, we decided to continue working with Espeo. We sent them quite detailed technical descriptions. We wanted to make sure they understood our terminology and our ideas. We’re also planning to do a mobile app for the runners.

We started with 2 developers when we were experimenting and trying to find a good partner. As our confidence in Espeo grew, we increased the team size to 5 developers in December. Currently, we employ 8 developers. The project has been growing all the time.

How did you come to work with Espeo?

We thought about doing this locally with Finnish developers. However, the software we’re using was quite popular last year so it was almost impossible to find developers from Finland. Our chief architect had experience doing offshore projects. He suggested that trying to find resources offshore would be the best thing.

How much have you invested with Espeo?

The current budget is €45,000 [$51,602] per month. In total, this project would probably cost us €500,000 [$573,365].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2016, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We have been satisfied. They appreciate it when we give as many details as we can to avoid misunderstandings. They have educated us in Scrum, and I’ve been happy with their approach. On top of software development, we are also getting an understanding of how to do development better and how to improve ourselves.

How did Espeo perform from a project management standpoint?

We have visited them several times. We have Skype meetings regularly, and we have additional meetings as needed. They have encouraged us to use video so that the collaboration feels more like we’re doing it with actual people and not just some guy somewhere. It gives us the feeling that the project is more of a joint effort. I really appreciate that. It’s reassuring to see that the team is communicating with our developers. I can see the feed constantly, so I can get a general idea of what the issues are that the team is working on. We have even increased the frequency of video conferences. I was watching the demo of one of the sprints, and I can’t help feeling that Espeo’s understanding of our system is getting better all the time. It’s been a beautiful experience.

We needed to work with a slight cultural difference, but their customer relationship manager spoke excellent English and it was easy to relate to him. There have been some small surprises. We have a different holiday schedule than they have in Poland. It’s nothing major, but it’s something to consider when doing a multi-cultural approach. Otherwise, the differences have been quite small.

Are there any areas Espeo could improve?

You need 2 people for communication, and sometimes it’s not just them that needs to improve; it’s also us. The Polish business culture versus Finnish business culture is different. The active communication culture is something I encourage on both sides to avoid misunderstandings. When things were misunderstood or not communicated correctly, they’ve been quick to react. Their customer manager has been really sensitive to our needs and has improved their communication accordingly.

For North Americans and Europeans, I know the culture is different. It can be misleading when you hear someone speak British English. You think you’re doing business with someone from the UK, but they’re not; they’re Polish and you have to figure out their way of thinking. We had good luck with the project culture because our lead developer’s wife is from Poland. He frequently visits Poland and has Polish relatives, so he’s been a big help with the cultural differences.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Espeo?

I would encourage people to challenge them and ask things from them. They are surprisingly well connected in Poland. They can produce resources amazingly fast compared to Finnish companies. I’m interested in learning more from them. So far, they’ve been able to produce different kinds of talents for the project when we needed to go deeper in certain areas. I encourage people to see what they are capable of doing. So far, we haven’t reached the limit.

4.5
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They’ve been on time.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    Compared to Finnish prices, they are very cost-effective.
  • 4.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    There’s always some improvements that can be done. For me, that’s still a pretty good grade.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I would definitely recommend them.

Web and Mobile Development for Cloud Service

"Differences in native languages or cooperation with a remote team never prevented us from reaching our goal."

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4.0

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
4.5
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Oct. 2015 - Feb. 2016
Project summary: 

Espeo created a web app for auto service providers to manage orders and promotions via coordination with an existing mobile app (Android/Windows/iOS). 

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Finland
CEO, Eximap
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The launched product allows strategic interfacing between providers and potential clients. In addition to demonstrating technical expertise, Espeo excelled at building customer trust through insightful suggestions, reliability, and accessibility. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Eximap is an innovative mobile solutions provider for the automotive industry. We produce cloud-based services and smartphone applications which connect customers with service providers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Espeo?

Our original mobile app (AutoMopus) proved to be a valuable tool for drivers. Finding a car service station or spare parts store in the vicinity of a user’s location wasn’t a problem for AutoMopus users. We decided to keep up the momentum and create a solution that would allow providers to gain clients more swiftly and easily utilizing the information we have on the cars. This is a task we entrusted Espeo with. The project called for the creation of a web application for automotive service providers such as service stations and spare parts stores which would communicate with the mobile app. It was designed to manage existing orders as well as promote special sales or service events among the users of the mobile app and regular customers. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Espeo created a web application using the Flask framework and the PostgreSQL database. The application allows for processing automotive data from various sources, making orders, and contacting current and potential clients. What’s more, repair workshops and spare parts salesmen can use the system to create special promotional campaigns for regular customers and users of the AutoMopus mobile app. The mechanism of reaching potential clients involves the use of email, push notifications (Google Android, Windows Phone, iOS), and text messages. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Espeo perform from a project management standpoint?

Frequent videoconferences and Espeo’s commitment to the project allowed us to consult changes and track their progress on a regular basis. At every stage of the project, it was demonstrated that Espeo doesn’t only focus on programming but also works to become a trusted consultant, one that doesn’t hesitate to suggest better solutions. Differences in native languages or cooperation with a remote team never prevented us from reaching our goal. That is why we can recommend Espeo as a truly trustworthy technological partner.

Is there anything Espeo could have improved or done differently?

In hindsight, the Espeo developer should have spent more time at our office, but this was more of a common outsourcing process issue. Even having daily Skype meetings did not guarantee 100% common understanding of the requirements, and we needed to do more fine-tuning ourselves than we were hoping. 

4.0
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 4.5 NPS
    Willing to refer

Command and Control System for Polish Police

"I can safely say that they are both great developers and true agile experts."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Confidential
 
2013
Project summary: 

Espeo developed a massive control system to manage the incident reporting, unit delegation and data processing for the entire Polish police force.

The Reviewer
 
10,001 + Employees
 
Poland
Sales Representative, Oracle
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Espeo successfully implemented agile methodology to manage a 20-person development team, as well as representatives from other agencies that were involved in the project. Their professionalism was unrivaled.

BACKGROUND

As Oracle’s representative to the public sector, I selected Espeo as the development partner for a project for Policja, or the Polish police force.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

The Polish police wanted to implement a command and control system to manage incident reporting and delegate police units to event sites. Creating a stable, scalable application that could successfully deal with so much data was a formidable task. Oracle would provide the tools and Hewlett-Packard the servers, but the application development was largely Espeo’s job.

SOLUTION

Espeo’s job was to create a desktop application to handle the difficult task of harnessing the enormous amount of report-related data. Basing on (and in partnership with) Oracle, as well as Java, Spring and Hibernate, they created two systems: a huge, distributed system that dealt with managing the work of over 1500 dispatch units and as a central management system.

This was a huge project that was one of the biggest Polish police history. It was completed in about 2013 but the exact timeline is confidential.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

The result was the largest solution of its kind in Poland. Previously, such systems only existed on a local level. To ensure the stability of the application, Espeo carried out a range of performance and scalability tests. They carried out all these tasks very proficiently. The best evidence is the fact that the system is still very much in use today, which is why I would especially recommend Espeo for projects that rely on high performance and scalability. It was also Espeo’s responsibility to implement the Agile process, based on Scrum, for a 20-strong development and test team. I can safely say that they are both great developers and true agile experts.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Back-End Development of Smart Content Governance Product

"They were committed to what they promised and delivered on that."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Sept. 2016 - Mar. 2017
Project summary: 

Espeo Software accelerated the development of a new smart content governance product. The team worked on rule-management components of the software. 

The Reviewer
 
201-500 Employees
 
Poznan, Poland
Piotr Malinski
Director of Engineering, Egnyte
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Espeo Software was flexible and adapted existing software development methodologies. The team had technical expertise, and they integrated into the project quickly. Throughout the project, they collaborated easily and communicated constantly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Egnyte is a file-sharing and syncing service, mainly targeted towards enterprises. We simplify the file-sharing process for our customers and provide a hybrid solution which can be deployed either in-house or through cloud storage. This is our biggest differentiator from the market.

What is your position?

I am the management director of Egnyte Poland, which is our R&D office. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

We are developing a product called Protect, which complements our portfolio on the document analysis and data governance side. It can highlight risks like data leakages. We have developed it from scratch over the last 12 months but needed to accelerate the process using external help. We didn't have time to hire our own people, so we hired Espeo Software. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Espeo Software assigned one frontend and two backend engineers who were seated into our existing teams. They supported our software engineering needs on specific parts of the product.

Espeo Software worked on the rule-management components of our software. These enable the application of filters on the data being analyzed. When creating a share rule, for example, the use-case highlights all the use-cases of files being shared too widely with people. We use Java on the backend and JavaScript on the frontend.

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

We did some research for locally available companies in Poland, which was the ideal case for us. We did do research on a global level as well since finding good engineers mattered most. Finding on-site engineers could have reduced the onboarding cycle and made for a much more productive relationship. We found Espeo Software, talked to their team, and found that they had very talented engineers. The fact that they were local was even better.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The cost of Espeo Software's involvement has been between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Espeo Software around September 2016. We are finishing the engagement now, with today being our last day. We actually extended the collaboration from three to six months. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The feedback from our own engineers was that Espeo Software's team was very flexible in adapting to existing software development methodologies. This was important for the team they were working with. Espeo Software also had great technical expertise, which allowed them to become involved quickly without too much overhead. They were committed to what they promised and delivered on that.

I was not involved with the work on a low level, but I'm sure that any challenges they came across were solved in a collaborative way. Espeo Software was part of a 20-person team, so there was a lot of collaboration between them and the rest of our resources.

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We have an on-site engineering manager in Poland. We also have a project manager in charge of the work in terms of releases and scope. We also have a US-based product manager who is in charge of translating business requirements into technical stories which are added to our JIRA backlog. Based on the feedback they received, Espeo Software integrated well into our process.

We started the engagement completely on-site, with Espeo Software's engineers working with ours from Monday to Friday. After a two-month period, we started letting them work off-site for two days a week. In the end, Espeo Software's team only came to our office for review meetings, planning, and retrospectives for one day a week. The communication was constant, regardless of Espeo Software's location.

What distinguishes Espeo Software from other providers?

The good technical expertise on Espeo Software's team is the first thing I'd highlight. They adapted to our business and development models quickly. "Local" is also a keyword.

Is there anything Espeo Software could have improved or done differently?

There's always room for improvement. Espeo Software could have more diversity in terms of projects, but this will come as they grow their team. 

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    There were no major issues.
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    Espeo Software's pricing is aimed at foreign clients. Even though we are a foreign company ourselves, we have operations in Poland. They charge in dollars, and the cost was a bit higher than we were willing to pay. It was worthwhile, though.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    We are happy with Espeo Software's commitment and the quality of the code produced by them. We wouldn't have extended our initial three-month contract otherwise.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    Espeo Software was easy to deal with from a management point of view. We could easily find common working terms and actually wanted to extend the collaboration more. Espeo Software's services were needed somewhere else, sadly.

Mobile and Web Development for Gaming Platform

"... Espeo's programmers were able to create what we envisioned completely by themselves without any mockups or models."

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5.0

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Confidential
Project summary: 

Espeo Software developed a mobile application and web backend system to help a startup launch their gaming platform to a worldwide audience.

The Reviewer
 
2-10 employees
 
Turku Area, Finland
Founder, Gaming Platform
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Espeo Software performed well during the long-term project without needing detailed mockups or drafts. They are recommended strongly for large projects.

BACKGROUND

MeBeGood is a Finnish-American startup founded in 2014 in Nevada. MeBeGood is the world's first mobile gaming platform that disrupts sponsoring by combining exercise and charity. MeBeGood combines people's favorite sports with charity and gives brands a unique opportunity to both sponsor individual exercisers and gain emotionally committed ambassadors for a good cause.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

There were a variety of users to keep in mind, so Espeo had to deliver features necessary for managing sponsors and the beneficiaries of the campaigns, managing the campaigns themselves (including branding, budget, and terms and conditions), conversion analysis of the campaigns organized by the brands, management of user profiles, and features connected to the analysis of physical activity and the possibility to share the results on Facebook.

SOLUTION

Based on mockups and models, Espeo created two mobile applications – Android and iOS – along with the backend for each one and a web application. The team knew that the UI was especially important. The app was made to look good and be easy to use. Mobile technologies were used as well as Java, Spring, AngularJS, jOOQ, Apache, and Tomcat. Integrating the app with Facebook was possible thanks to the use of Facebook API. All work was conducted in the Scrum methodology and with the client's involvement in regular demos and sprint planning.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Espeo followed up on what we agreed on with the utmost diligence. Thanks to regular meetings, demo sessions, and continuous planning, we were able to track progress and plan the implementation of the features. When it came to the web application, Espeo's programmers were able to create what we envisioned completely by themselves without any mockups or models.

We were aware that we had the possibility to change our technological partner from the very beginning if we so wished, but there was never any need for that. That's why we're able to recommend Espeo fully. They are an experienced technological partner for long-term software development.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Development of Crowdfunding Platform

"I'm very satisfied with Espeo ... I found it valuable to talk directly to the team."

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4.5

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
3.5
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Less than $10,000
 
Aug. 2016 - Dec. 2016
Project summary: 

Espeo Software worked with a brand new company to develop a minimum viable product crowdfunding application that scales easily as the user base grows.

The Reviewer
 
2-10 employees
 
Roanoke, Virginia Area
Founder, Crowdfunding Platform
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Espeo Software fixed a previous developer's bugs and improved the product with clean code and suggestions. Espeo Software delivered the product late, but the final product was great thanks to the passionate leadership of their CEO, Pawel Rogowicz.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're an upcoming crowdfunding platform offering two-stage funding, digital files, an integrated community, and multi-charity donations. I am the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

We needed to develop a crowdfunding platform and get an MVP out to consumers, along with continuing to scale in the future.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed the platform and handled the two-stage funding, currency conversions, and multiple bug fixes that were left from another developer, who was unable to complete the platform. We worked with WordPress and IgnitionDeck, which is a WordPress plug-in, that implements functionality into the platform. They did other custom work for WordPress to implement features that were specific to us like our digital files that needed to be downloaded.

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

We were displeased with the progress of our previous web developers and Espeo reached out to us on social media when they heard we needed help. I looked at their portfolio and enjoyed the fact that they offered a competitive price with professional work. We were able to talk directly to the developers.

How much have you invested with Espeo Software?

We spent $7,000 with Espeo.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took 14 weeks, and it was completed in December 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I'm very satisfied with Espeo. They gave us updated code every week as we requested to get ready for our closed beta that we were going to conduct.

What did you find most impressive about Espeo Software?

They are always available. I found it valuable to talk directly to the team. They reviewed the documents and asked questions so that they understood the requirements before they started working on a feature. That cut down on the revisions that needed to be made.

Are there any areas Espeo Software could improve?

The deadline was set for 7 weeks, and it took double that to finish the project. They were helpful in remedying that difference in terms of cost. They could offer more services to United States-based customers. I think that would be beneficial to them and very helpful to U.S.-based customers. Finding U.S.-based web development companies at an affordable rate with professional quality is hard to find.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Espeo Software?

Sign Dominik [Zyskowski, software product manager and senior consultant at Espeo Software] on to work on your project. He worked with us nonstop and is probably the most passionate person there who was dedicated to working with us. He was passionate and provided new features, some that we didn't even think about. Look at what they offer and make sure they're right for you. Something that caught us off-guard was that they're based in Poland, so they work different hours than we do. A U.S. company will need to work on Poland time if they want to communicate with the team.

4.5
Overall Score Can’t find anybody better in the industry.
  • 3.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    The timeline was not met, but they did compensate us in many ways for that.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    Even with the delay, they helped stay within the original budget.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    They completely reworked some of the old code from the old developers to bring it up to current standards.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    Except for the delay, everything was rock solid and fantastic. We could not have picked a better web builder.

Web Development for Exchange Program

"[W]e realized quickly that we could entrust the company with the development and maintenance of the entire platform."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Confidential
 
Nov. 2015 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Espeo Software further develops an existing exchange platform which measures the success of various media marketing. The team was responsible for maintaining and adding to the platform's features.

The Reviewer
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The team was initially brought on for front-end development but demonstrated such great expertise and communication that they are now also performing back-end development. Espeo Software communicates well and works with commendable diligence.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

Our company was created with advertisers, agencies and media in mind. We provide a convenient, thoroughly considered, and efficient exchange platform, a self-service tool that measures the online and mobile effectiveness of advertising. We achieve a market advantage by relying on a product created by experienced marketing specialists with a partner team of qualified programmers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you facing when you approached Espeo Software?

We wanted to start working with a remote development team that had experience in creating and maintaining IT [information technology] projects using a very particular technology.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of your work with Espeo Software.

They needed to develop our exchange platform while maintaining the business features already in place. In time, and because of the influx of new users, we asked them to scale earlier solutions and expand existing features for those users.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

The two people initially responsible for the front-end development later grew into a seven-person team that took on all the front-end and back-end development and maintenance for the platform.

What is the status of your work with Espeo Software?

Our work with them is ongoing. We already know that the later stages of the project and an increase of business users will require a further expansion of the team.

Are you satisfied with the work delivered by Espeo Software?

In the beginning, Espeo was only supposed to be responsible for the front-end part of the application. However, we realized quickly that we could entrust the company with the development and maintenance of the entire platform. As of this moment, we've been working with their team for almost one and a half years, and we're regularly enlarging the team of developers to meet the functional expectations of subsequent clients.

From the very first day, Espeo's employees have been working on their tasks with due diligence. Daily meetings and online chats allowed us to grow firm in our belief that we're dealing with a group of specialists with whom we have no language or communication issues.

I've also had the opportunity to work with them both in our headquarters as well as our visits in Espeo's Poznan office. Time and time again, I saw how quickly the Espeo team reacted to my comments and suggestions on how to develop the product further. I can recommend Espeo as a solid remote partner for IT projects with full responsibility.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Web Development for Employment Platform

"They really took their job seriously and treated customers with respect."

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4.5

Quality: 
4.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
4.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
Project summary: 

Espeo Software developed a large-scale, efficient cloud-hosted platform that connects individuals seeking employment with potential employers via electronic application forms and a paid search engine.

The Reviewer
 
201-500 Employees
 
Finland
Team Manager, Finnish Digital Consultancy
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Espeo Software was outsourced because of their scaling capability and wide range of proficiency. They dedicated an entire Scrum team and delivered exactly as expected, delivering high quality performance and results on a tight deadline. The team were accessible, transparent, and responsive.

BACKGROUND

Solita is a digital business consulting and services company. We develop new business and digital services for our corporate and public sector customers. We combine business processes, content, and technology in a revolutionary manner for our customers' benefit. Our role is to be the customer's guide on the road to change.

I'm a team manager at Solita Oy. I lead individuals, manage projects and consult businesses in how to reach, engage, and serve customers in an increasingly digital world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

We reached a client who decided to launch an online recruitment platform aimed at the Finnish market. Functional objectives of the platform to be achieved: collecting electronic CVs [curriculum vitae] from those looking for work and enabling employers to browse and access the collected CVs, and to contact the candidates.

The client was afraid that having to complete the entire profile (CV) would be a serious entry barrier for people looking for work. Another potential problem was the CV Bank. Since the platform's business model was based on the fees charged from employers for viewing the profile of a potential candidate, the search engine was to return results that would be numerous and ordered depending on how relevant they are.

Since both sections are part of one of the largest Finnish online classifieds services, the other potential problem was the issue of scalability. We've decided to outsource this project to Espeo Software as Espeo has obtained proficiency in area outside of our core competences.

SOLUTION

Espeo was working remotely from their office in Poznań [Poland] with the Finnish project manager, product owner, and UX [user experience] designer. With the use of Symfony 2 framework, we designed a web platform that included two sections: Profiili and CV.

Profiili is an application for people looking for work that allows them to create their electronic CV by filling in a form. The usability of the form was tested in order to make the time needed for filling it in as short as possible.

CV Bank is a web application for employers allowing them to search for candidates that meet specified criteria, view their profiles after paying a fee, and contact them. In the search engine, we used the mechanisms of fuzzy logic so that there is no risk that a very detailed query would return empty results. If necessary, the search engine returns results that do not closely match the query and at the same time shows the user the relevance level of each of the results expressed in percentages.

The platform is cloud-hosted with Amazon Web Service, which guarantees high efficiency and scalability of the system.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Espeo was responsible for execution of the whole project. This project involved the entire Scrum team for 14 months. Espeo Software did a good job, and we knew exactly what to expect. They worked together well under pressure and delivered in the face of a really tight deadline. They really took their job seriously and treated customers with respect. Their English is great, and the communication was fluent through the project.

I was able to collaborate with them efficiently, which might not always be straightforward when working with other nearshore companies. I liked the fact that they respond very quickly to any questions or concerns I had. When I send a request or a task, I see the progress and I know it will be done within the time period that I wanted. For me, this is very important. Overall, reachability of the Espeo team was constantly on a good level.

4.5
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 4.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 4.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Corporate Systems Development and Support

"They are truly agile and are able to react promptly to changes that we need to face."

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4.5

Quality: 
4.0
Schedule: 
4.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Less than $10,000
 
2014 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Espeo Software was selected as a long-term service provider. They deliver agile and adaptable marketing services, platform maintenance, and website development and manage communication channels.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Finland
Management Board Member, Bilot
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Despite a geographic difference, Espeo Software provides excellent, high-quality service. They are cooperative, reliable, and responsive to contract needs and to changes in marketing requirements. The team provides guidance on security updates and develops new features as needed.

BACKGROUND

Bilot is a software and growth company founded in 2005. The company is known as an expert in developing and implementing the latest SAP and Microsoft-based solutions.

Bilot's own Smart product family forms a digital business platform that brings usability, performance, cost efficiency, and reliability to enterprise solutions.

Bilot is owned by its personnel and is located in Helsinki, Finland, and Poznan, Poland. The company turnover was 15 million euros in 2014, and it employs 130 talented visionaries and thought leaders in its technology realm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

We were looking for a service provider that would be able to support our corporate website development as our needs change. The key points we were after were agility and ability to react fast to changing marketing. 

We didn't have a project in mind as such, but rather a long-term engagement with a reliable partner. Espeo has these qualities, and we started cooperation for more than a year. The project is ongoing with no plans to stop the work.

SOLUTION

We cooperate with Espeo as a service provider for maintenance and further development of our group website. Additionally, Espeo takes care of some other of our key communication channels. Espeo provides us with advice what should be done from the platform maintenance point of view, such as security updates. But, they develop new features that are required by our marketing department. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

The cooperation goes well, despite the fact that we are located in two different countries and our team members have never met. Still, the cooperation is good and the level of service we receive from Espeo fulfils our needs. They are truly agile and are able to react promptly to changes that we need to face. I'd recommend Espeo's services to others who are looking for similar solution.

4.5
Overall Score
  • 4.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 4.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer